Hi folks. Once of the first tapes I ever owned was labeled as a soundcheck from this date. It had a really cool Bobby off-time major-chord groove thing, kind of a mix between Hey Pocky Way and the jam in Throwing Stones. Next came the infamous Mickey Hart Fire on the Mountain rap. I was 15 when I got the tape...so maybe this is all just conjecture ;)

Coming back after a respite in GD shows in the late 70s until 7/13/84 (DS encore at the Greek), I thought "Gee I remember Grateful Dead shows being longer than this." Seeing these setlists of 30+ songs, I realize why I was thinking that. This show was a typical example why we kept going time after time to see these guys. We hoped someone was recording them for posterity's sake. The zigzag gerders that supported the Bay Bridge continued to bend and warp as we glided through that industrial maze back to Berkeley that night. It was cold and foggy and we kept smiling and babbling all the way home.

3rd set:
Mississippi Half Step,
Promised Land,
Brokedown Palace,
Jack Straw,
Eyes Of The World -> China Doll -> Wharf Rat ->
Sugar Magnolia, E: Uncle John's Band
"My words fly off like birds
My mind is gone, like what is up in smoke"
C. Freedom

The Dead were of to a good start in 1974.

The best part of any show, for me, is the connection between the band and the audience. Every once in awhile, in an excellent, average, or even poor recording, you can tell by the audience's audible appreciation of the jam that there is only one wavelength at the venue, and everybody's on it together. For this show, the culmination of the jam in TLEO is pristine, and the audience lets us know it.

Absolutely exellent performance!!! I can't rate the sound quality because I got my copy of this six or seven years ago from my brother. I don't know the source but mine sounds great and even if it didn't this is so good I'd listen to every note anyhow.

this Being the First Ship Of Fools, the first, Roses, and the first U.S. Blues. I'm loving it. 74 definitely my year to listen to this summer!

I'm with the folks who aren't so hot on set 1. To me, a 5-star show should have at least most of the lyrics hit by Jerry & Bobby. Maybe Jerry was still finding the groove at the start of the tour, but the first several tunes of set 1 caused me to skip to a solid albeit rather typical China > Rider & what looks like an epic set 2. Likin' the Eyes, whatta long strange set #2 is! 3 1/2 stars so far.

Great sound, this and Dec 27 1977 are my favorites so far.

what is provenance .. ?
beenwaytoolongatsea

I think the thing about this show that really caught me was the line-up of songs. I mean really? How unreal is this show? I really could not care less about the provenance of the recordings, sure the sound is mediocre.; but, we are treasured to have this available.

The vocals are a lot quieter than I would like (especially on the wonderfully funkee Loose Lucy), but check out the set list: no drums, no space, 30 cuts. 30 cuts?!?!?! I didn't feel gypped, that's for sure...

I'm giving this solid four, good performance, fair recording ,Definitely not on scale with the RAGIN 77's but strong for 74 no doubt. I was gonna dumb this one down to a 3 for the sake of the average but I just couldn't bring myself to do it!! Overall a good listen but not a 5 star show/recording in my opinion. Surely not a passer by anyones standards (in my eyes anyways).

St Heathen: seriously, who consults a deadbase for political opinions? ...and to me it seems awfully presumptuous of you to assume that we're all democrats, or that we care at all about why the democrats can't get elected (according to your expert deadhead/politico opinion).
And then stuff like this happens: people like me post in response to your off-topic and off-color comments, and then someone will respond to me, and before you know it only one out of every ten "reviews" will have anything at all to do with the show.
...so I apologize to everyone for going on and on and not even mentioning the show yet, but I wanted to point out how counterproductive it is to make off-topic posts. Go to a message board or something for that.
And with regard to the show, I really dig it. You can definitely hear that it's a little awkward at moments, like when it comes time to end a song and not everyone realizes it, but to me those moments add to the character of the show and bring the Boys a little closer to earth as we see that they're not magicians, they're rusty after a break just like you or me would be... but when they hit their stride, it sounds niiiice and fresh. Someone said something about shows from 76, as far as having a distinctively fresh and different sound, and I kind of see this show as having a bit of that character. Like I said, I dig it.

To "st. heathen" the previous reviewer....could you possibly complain anymore? Who cares what others think about this show or what they compare it to. This by far is one of the best early 70's shows I have heard. Absolutly the best of 1974. Jerry's guitar licks on TLEO is the best version I have ever heard....Bobby's Promised Land is also very memorable...i can pick it out any time on Sirius Dead channel 32 or Radioio.com.
Maybe you should try some "lysergic" yourself, just enjoy the show, and chill the hell out!...whinner

We need some objectivity. The problem with these postings is that they are WAAYYYYYY too subjective.
Person 1 raves about the first set, person 2 says the '74 show was almost as good as a show they saw in '87 (WTF?), person 3 posts just so they can use the word "lysergic" in a sentence, person 4 complains about the 1st set, person 5 posts how stella blue and china doll rock out, person 6 waxes about the van ride to the show, person 7 compares Bruce Hornsby to Pigpen, person 8 bitches how Garcia flubbed a lyric, person 9 points out that it was Weir singing the song, person 10 raves about Keith and Donna and praises atonal jamming, and person 11 writes that Donna sux and the atonal jamming was actually the band tuning up.
long story short, the posts become almost a pointless Babel-like guide as to whether the show is any good or not. And this is why the democrats can't get elected. Even though you're on the same "page", no one is one the same page.

mcgannahan. Music is a subjective artform and everyone hears things differently. Some of my all-time favorite "five-star" recordings are the funky audience tapes that somehow magically captured three dimensional moments in time that feel almost holographic when experienced properly. Well, proper for a "normal" deadhead! :D

what do you think is more fascistic?
1) offering an honest critique - whether positive or negative - of a work of art.
or
2) commanding someone not to offer an opinion if it does not match your own?
you are the reason the democrats cannot get elected. and you need to consult the dictionary.

may not be the best but maybe the Dead were just having fun on this Night!

so sick of your negative reviews of shows that us normal heads like alot. you want perfection, go follow another band, leave the dead the hell alone, you fascist. great show btw, i'll give it 5 for sound and 4 for performance.

Some super smooth, intricate, emotive stuff here.
EOTW, best groove I've heard in awhile.
China Doll, the very end, brought a tear to my eyes.
Wharf Rat, etc...
this one creeps up on you, that bowls you over wit emotion.

it sounds like it was a great concert with some relly great songs. the only bad thing is the recording, i wasnt a big fan of the sound quality.

These reviews best serve the populace if they only judge the quality of the recording and musical performance, not how important it is in the history of the Dead. Just because it's the first show of '74 and it's a new era doesn't in-of-itself justify a 5 star rating.
Recording Quality: For a soundboard it's slightly above average. The positive highlight is you can actually hear the crowd more than other SBD's. Other than that it's an unremarkable SBD. There are mixing problems, in several songs it is very hard to hear the microphones (singing); in other parts the singing is overwhelming (Beat It On Down The Line); the recording has a muffled sound to it (as if the high frequencies were squeezed out). Not completely impressed. I've heard better SBD's, and I've heard worse. 3 stars.
Concert Playing: It's apparent that there has been a layoff, and sometimes that can produce gems of songs. But the band does get sloppy in some songs (TLEO comes to mind). Playin' is great though, well-defined Slipknot! teases. 3 stars.
Note that it's totally fine to be enamored with the fact that this show kicks off a new year. And as several have pointed out '76 is a good year, lots of songs played at a slower pace. But that judgement, as used for a review, interjects a lot of subjectivity. Let's try to be objective!

you just GOTTA hear this Playin

I really Like this three day offering, The sound is sweet and just a little slower than what was goin on in december of 73, yet gettin punchy pocky like in may june july august to follow. Phils bass and Billy's beats are mean and sharp, The 24th is the leader, but no shame really in following that. Wave the Flag is reinvented yet not ripe, nore is Lucy, stuck in the middle. great Mississipi, Slipknot tease in Playin', Sweet Jimmy Row.

Funny about the Soundcheck, commonly mislabled the 24th, they play Attics!, but waste it complaining about sound, they played this what, twice in 72 and then it vanished, also in 71 in keiths audition, yet never in concert that year, or in 73-74, hello baby Im gone goodbye.
email me at fieldhouse11277@hotmail.com happy to share

In my opinion, this show is well worth our praise for the spirited and up-tempo "They Love Each Other." I think this version is so much better than its slower incarnations.
Jerry's pick work and vocals are crisp, and Keith actually adds to the mix (not so, in my opinion, with several other keyboardists).
Nice quality, nice energy.

nothing short of phenomenal

The shows of November '73 are better, as are many of the other '74 shows, including the 2/24 show two days later. This one gets a bit sloppy at times. Jerry misses high notes, as in Tennesee Jed. Donna's screeches are more off-key and teeth-jarring then usual. The first-performances are interesting historically, but not as good as the more developed performances later in the year. The Slipnote riff that Jerry plays is definately interesting. I Know You Rider rocks, but the vocals make you cringe at the end. Bob keeps forgetting the lyrics in Truckin. Check out 2/24 instead.

noted that 6.20.74 was the first slipknot! but upon checking this show out it is obvious this is the night
BTW = epic show!!

A little rusty around the edges, but very high energy and a great start to a great year.

definitely a turning point in the dead's journey. the wall of sound, the movie, donna jean and keith. this run at winterland is a must-have for any deadhead.totally electric!!

I've downloaded hundreds of concerts from this show before, but never before have I been inspired to write a review. This Playin' in the Band is absolutely off the wall. The jam is long and sweet, and twice there are monstrous Slipknot! teases. I guess Jerry wrote those notes between the 73 and 74 tours with It Must Have Been The Roses and turning Wave that Flag into U.S. Blues. Hot!

gets an A. Don't think this is even the best of the 3 nights at Winterland. But it's very solid. Decent sound, decent mix with good energetic performances. Not sure if it's 3.5 or 4 stars so I'll round up.

This show is something that any '74 freak should own. It is a good show, with an interesting set list, and some great playing. In a year with shows like 5-19, 10-20, 5-21, 6-20, 6-18, etc., it really seems like an afterthought. The vocals are poorly recorded in the second set, which is what affects my judgement--but before you ignore this show, remember that it is the opener of the best year, and a damn good show on its own.

This was def. a fresh start to the new yea
first show of the year, and ALSO first u.s. blues
first ship of fools and first roses what an amazing way to start the new year

Why couldn't I have been 10 years older? This is the kind of show that turned casual, unsuspecting fans in into lifelong heads... they simply had no choice in the matter. How intimate can you get? If this isn't church in the GD realm, what is? Weak vocals on early songs, but so what. It's like being invited to their living room. There's your spot on the beat up couch in the corner. 3rd set is without match. Like Arlo said, do it again, with feelin'. Can't say enough about this show. Too bad there are hundreds of other shows to listen to. God bless you archive.org! Never seen Winterland, but HJK (Oakland Auditorium) was reportedly close. 11/87 was incredible and we were SO luckuy to be there. Thanks SO much to the band. You just don't know... The music did play the band. Terry from Tahoe 10/87 Shoreline and 11/87 HJK I won't forget. Young heads need love too! This show hurts to listen to, I'm just lucky I got in towards the end. You have no idea. Welcome sunshine. Thanks Todd. AEKDB

I don't know why anyone would mark this any lower then five stars. The quality is awesome, and this is the best version of Brown-Eyed Women I have ever heard, and trust me I've heard a lot - it's one of my favorite songs. The entire show is good, China Doll, Brown-Eyed Women, Jack Straw, Eyes of the World - this show has all of my favorite songs. Excellent show.